Radio station RAC1 and Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo are reporting the 68-year-old was diagnosed on Tuesday and is currently undergoing tests to discover the extent of his illness.

Formerly a heavy smoker, Cruyff had double heart bypass surgery in 1991 while he still in charge of Barcelona.

Cruyff famously helped his country reach the World Cup final in 1974 and won three consecutive European Cups with Ajax and went on to play and manage at Barcelona.

While in charge at the Spanish club, he led them to their first European Cup win in 1992 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1989, while they also won four consecutive La Liga titles from 1991 to 1994.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, he won the Ballon d’Or three times.

Cruyff’s last managerial appointment came at the Catalonia national team, a post he left in 2013 after four years.